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Palace of the Res Publica (Istalia)
The Palace of the Res Publica (Istalian: Palazzo della Res Publica), inaugurated and known until 4657 as Palace of the Republic, is a palace and landmark in Romula, seat of the National Assembly of the Istalian Empire since 4571. Previously, between 4238 until 4571, the Palace housed both the Houses of the Parliament of the Istalian Republic, for which the Palace was specifically built and then the Congress of the Fifth Istalian Republic. The Palace, since its inauguration, hosts also the Museum of the Parliament, an important cultural institution financied directly by the Parliament which collects and shows to visitors testimonies of the history of the parliament and in general of the politics in Istalia. History The site of the Palace, on the shores of the Sala river, once was occupied by the rest of the Parliament of the Royal Union of Quanzar, majestic neogothic building part of the Institutional Quartier of Haxons (as was renamed Romula under the solentian-luthorian monarchy) which, started to be built in 2718, was never finished due the fall of the Monarchy in 2738 and was then totally demolished in 2893 so to open a way for the enlargement of the Lungosala, the boulevards running along both the side of the river. Then for century the area was occupied by a park until the decision in 33th century to build here the new building to host the Parliament. The Palace of the Republic was officially commissioned in 4234 after the approval of the project and of its funding but the debate around a new unique seat for the two branches of the Parliament take several years before. After two official competition to choise the design of the Palace, finally was chosen the one presented by Stefano Madia, architect from Vinesia where he taught in the local university. The construction became during the FIFA World Cup 4235 which was hosted by Istalia and complexively take three years also if the Senate began to met in the building already at the end of 4237 (the Chamber met for the first time in the new site in 4238). When the parliament was reformed into the unicameral National Congress of the Fifth Republic in 4555, the congressmen of the first term, being only 125 members, gathered in the smaller Hall of the Senate, while the next and the following 635-members Congresses, of necessity, used the larger Hall of the Chamber. Since when the Congress too was reformed in 4571 under the Imperial Reform, finally, the Hall of the Chamber hauses the session of the National Assembly of the Istalian Empire. The hemicycle of the National Assembly hosted the inauguration cerimony of Michele the First as Emperor of the Istalians during which the Emperor sworne in front of the legislature and the Nation. In 4575 was presented a project to restructure the Hall of the Assembly to better reflect the new Imperial status of the parliament and of the nation. Curiously, the name of the Palace was not changed at the time of the transition to the monarchic regime but it was necessary to wait for 4657 to proceed with an "adaptation" of the name. The building was renamed Palace of the Res Publica: the legislator, in fact, preferred to adopt the Selucian term Res Publica which generally indicates the State as well as the political activity, devoid of references to a republica regime but that perfectly indicates the concept of democratic regime in a way more appropriate to the monarchic regime of the Istalian Empire. Description The Palace is the largest public buildings in Romula, in fact it contains 200,000 m² and it hosts the debating chambers of the Parliament, the offices of both the Houses's Presidencies, the offices of the Vice-Presidents, the offices of the Whips of the Parliamentary Groups, the most important Parliament Committees and related offices, then two conferences halls, an auditorium, two restaurants and the already mentioned Museum of the Parliament. Also if it is a Modern Style building, the Palace shows clear classical and monumental features: all the four facades are almost totally occupied by four porticos supported by giant pilars while corner risalits stand at the four corners and the white marmble covers almost all the surfaces. The main entrance gives out onto the newly renamed Parliament Lungosala's boulevard (istalian: Lungosala del Parlamento) which is divided from the river by a long and narrow park. This entrance is the one to the public areas of the building (Museum, conference halls, auditorium and the restaurants) while the members and the personal of the Parliament enter through the opposite side, which give out onto a square below which extends an underground car parking for the Parliament which present a subterrean access to the institutional areas of the building. Curiosity The Halls The hemicycle of the National Assembly, considerably larger then the one of the former Senate, has been thought to accomodate the joint session of the previous bicameral republican parliament: around the hemiclycle usually used by the Deputies, there is another ring of seats conceiled behind sliding walls, called the Rear Gallery where the senators once could find place. In the terrace between the Hemicycle and the Rear Gallery find place guests, spectators and the media. Under the Istalian Empire, with the unicameral parliament, the Rear Gallery is used for important events which take place within the Hall, like the Oath to the National Assembly of the Emperor during the period of the Imperial Inauguration, and it is used to host the Presidents of the Regions and Provinces, Representatives of the various regional and provincial Councils, the Judges of the High Council of the Judiciary, the exponents of the National Association of Istalian Mayors, representatives of the institutional, cultural, economic and social world, members of the Armed Forces and the members of the Imperial Family, usually seated into a Honor Balconet presidied by the Imperial Guard at one of the last ends of the Rear Gallery. The Transept of Honors Instead among the most interesting place, there is a lomg and large corridor dividing the two chambers decorated by large frescos dedicated to the history of Istalia and busts in bronze and marble of notable past members of Parliament along the walls, it is called Transept of Honors (Istalian: Transetto degli Onori), but is colloquially called only Il Transetto. Category:Istalia Category:Landmarks Category:Politics of Istalia